Stephanie Michels, Author

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Sunday, February 1, 2015

Tomorrow is February 2, Groundhog Day. Do you remember the Bill Murray and Andie McDowell movie by that name?

It's one of my favorite Murray comedies. I loved the premise of Murray's adventures with Puxatawney Phil repeating over and over, but only he is aware of it. However, as I got to thinking about the movie and the whole "Phil predicting the weather by seeing his shadow" gig, I got to wondering about a couple of things.

One is the weather. If it's February in Pennsylvania, why do most of the scenes in the movie have very little snow? Half the people aren't wearing gloves and it appears to be a balmy 40 degree day. Here in Michigan, we're buried in snow, so shouldn't they have more than the spattering shown in most scenes? After all, Murray and his team were supposedly stuck in Puxatawney due to a blizzard. Perhaps it's because the movie wasn't actually filmed in Puxatawney, PA. It was shot north of Chicago in the town of Woodstock, IL, which is near the Wisconsin border. Given the weather around the Great Lakes, however, shouldn't there still be more snow?

Another thing I wonder about is why Murray's character is named Phil. Isn't that kind of confusing since the groundhog's name is also Phil? Did the scriptwriter intentionally do it, maybe to point out how futile life is for the groundhog, too? After all, year after year, the poor critter gets dragged from his warm burrow, sees his shadow then gets put back to hibernate some more. Or did the writer just draw a blank when it came to other male names?

The movie never tells us why Murray is caught in the time loop, anyway. The movie also never says exactly how long Phil (the reporter not the groundhog) is trapped in it. We see him go through denial, anger, suicide attempts, etc. before finally learning from his experience and trying to help others. He also learns to speak French and play the piano proficiently. Those things would take more than a month or two.

According to the DVD commentary by director Harold Ramis, he believes 10 years pass. However, later, in answer to a an email sent to a magazine, Ramis says, "I think the 10 year estimate is too short....allotting for the down time and the misguided years he spent, it had to be more like 30 or 40 years."

Thirty or forty years? Wow! Wouldn't clothes have worn out? Wouldn't he have aged? Wouldn't the others? There seems to be a lot of unanswered questions.Apparently the industry didn't think so. The film is regarded as a contemporary classic. In fact, the late Roger Ebert revisited it in his "Great Movies" series.After giving it a three-star rating in his original review, Ebert acknowledged in his "Great Movies" essay that, like many viewers, he had initially underestimated the film's many virtues and only came to truly appreciate it through repeated viewings.The film is number 32 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies". InTotal Film's 1990's special issue,Groundhog Daywas deemed the best film of 1993. Pretty wild considering that year saw the release ofSchindler's List,The Piano, andThe Fugitive. TheWriters Guild of Americaranked thescreenplay#27 on their list of 101 Greatest Screenplays ever written.In 2009, American literary theoristStanley Fishnamed the film as among the ten best American films ever.Okay, I agree it was a cute movie. I admire Bill Murray's talents, like Tom Hanks, Murray can portray comedy as well as drama. But one of the TOP TEN MOVIES EVER? I think that's a bit over the top. But maybe I missed something. I think I need to go watch it again. How about you?Better yet, I'd like to curl back up in bed and hibernate until Phil (the Groundhog) stops saying we'll have six more weeks of this snowy and cold weather. Florida, anyone, anyone? Buehler? Oh wait! That's a different movie...

Sunday, July 6, 2014

As Many As 200 Million Women Are Missing!Young Girl Sold into Marriage!Child Abducted and Trafficked into Sexual Slavery!Female Baby Killed and No One Protests!

Do these sound like the lurid headlines from some supermarket tabloid or maybe the trailer for some futuristic new movie? Unfortunately, truth is much worse than fiction.

Recently, I stopped with friends to browse at a display of beautiful scarves, jewelry and handmade accessories being sold in the lobby of one of the office building in downtown Grand Rapids. All the items being offered where handmade and absolutely beautiful.

I was initially attracted to the gorgeous, fringed scarves (scarves are one of my new passions) then my eye was caught by a collection of lovely note cards on handmade paper with dainty crocheted medallions affixed to the front. Since I love crochetwork, especially such delicate examples as these that appeared to have been made with something no thicker than sewing thread, I picked up one of the cards to exam it.

I read the note cards had been handmade in Kosovo, a nation torn apart by war. Many war widows there are living in extreme poverty, trying to eke out an existence for their families and themselves through their handcrafts. The delicate medallions on the card were some of their work.

Then I noticed the red brochure behind the cards. It talked about WAR International, the organization sponsoring this sale. WAR - the acronym for Women At Risk International - is a Grand Rapids based organization dedicated to giving voice to women around the globe, who are affected by slavery, exploitation, abuse, natural disasters and war, and offer protection and training to them in the name of the Lord.

The headlines listed at the top of this article are just the tip of the problem. Globally, there is a hidden genocide taking place against women. According to the US State Department, about 800,000 people around the world are illegally trafficked every year. A staggering 50% of these are children! Of the women taken, 70% are "sold into slavery, chained to beds of horror."

The U.N. Secretary General says: 114 to 200 million women are "demographically missing" due to infanticide, dowry deaths, domestic violence, and all manner of risks.

This isn't only happening in India, Pakistan, underdeveloped countries, etc. Within the United States, human trafficking has become the fastest growing segment of organized crime, according to the FBI.

Babies are sold into slavery for as little as $100.

Then there's the lucrative black market for human organs. Sudanese Human Rights lawyers declare going in for what should be a routine physical is often a death trap if tests reveal the patient has healthy organs that can be "harvested."

What can be done? Women At Risk is working to not only unveil this hidden genocide, but also to offer safe harbor to women, where they teach women not only the skills to help them become independent, but lovingly help restore their battered and destroyed self-image. A typical rescue costs about $200, and WAR raises funds for their work through sales of handcrafted articles at their boutiques and online.

If you'd like to hear more, visit their website www.warinternational.org where you can read more about their work and see some of the beautiful articles made by the women.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

The first weekend of the month, the first book I co-wrote with Patricia Kiyono, The Calico Heart, was featured at eReader News Today and went to best seller status in two categories on Amazon thanks to wonderful readers like you. Patty and I are very grateful to everyone who bought or read the book. This is also the book that was nominated for the 2013 RONE award for Best Contemporary Romance. Thanks so much for your support. If you haven't read it yet, you can get a copy thru April 30 for just 99 cents. (The buy links can be found on the My Books tab.)

On April 8, the second book in the series, The Friendship Star Quilt was released by Astraea Press. Patty and I have been blog-hopping like crazy talking to readers, doing promo, and giving away a lot of fun prizes, including books and gift cards to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Now, here it is Easter weekend, and my house has been sorely neglected all month. I'm afraid I may have to do as a poster on Facebook suggests...

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Last July, I introduced you to the wonderful novella, Feudlings in Sight, by #1 best-selling author, Wendy Knight. Since then, Wendy, who has also authored the best-selling young adult series, Riders of Paradesos, has grown the Fate on Fire series to include: Feudlings, Feudlings in Flames,and Feudlings in Smoke.

Each of these young adult stories have enough action, romance, and plot twists to also engage adult readers, but unlike some YA on the book stands, you can rest assured this series is wholesome and profanity-free. In fact you can safely recommend Wendy's books to anyone - teen, best friend, even your prim Aunt Martha.

After I read a few of the Feudling novels, I found I was curious about the background of the series. What set off a war that lasted more than 300 years? How did it all begin? Were you wondering, too?

Well, I am delighted to share some good news. Astraea Press has just released the newest book in Wendy's series this week. Spark of a Feudling, is the prequel story you and I have been waiting to read. And isn't the cover gorgeous?

Here's a tidbit about the story:

Hate can start a war, but a shattered heart can fuel it for
centuries.

Everything Ada does is wrong. She’s the daughter of a Duke
but she isn’t proper or formal. She prefers the company of her
servants—particularly Christian, the boy she’s loved since she was six years
old, and his sister, Charity, Ada’s very best friend in the entire world.

Ada isn’t just the daughter of a Duke. No, she’s the daughter of one of the
most powerful Edren sorcerers alive, and no matter how strong she is, it isn’t
strong enough. Ada will give up almost everything to earn her father’s pride.

Christian has loved Ada since the day his mother became her

governess. But two
societies are determined to keep them apart—the aristocracy who say a groom
will never be good enough for a Duke’s beautiful daughter, and the sorcerers
who say a Carules and an Edren can never be together. Christian will do
anything to make Ada his—even drive himself to madness.

When Ada suspects her father of hurting Charity and Christian in his quest for
knowledge, she is torn between loyalty to him, and a fierce determination to
protect them. The division tears her soul and breaks her heart.

The pieces of her broken heart will start a war that can only be stopped by the
death of the most powerful warrior alive by the hand of the boy who loves her.

The book also includes a bonus excerpt of her new story Feudlings in Peace, so you can join Ari, Shane, Ada, Christian and everyone they love as
they chase their happily ever after.

Wendy Knight is the bestselling author of the young adult
series Fate on Fire and Riders of Paradesos.

She was born and raised in Utah by
a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she
spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no
water after five, terror when faced with a live phone call, no touching the
knives…you get the idea).

Among the things she enjoys is chasing her three adorable kids,
playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big—her
family is slowly working toward a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the
United States.

You can usually find Wendy with at least one Pepsi nearby,
wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion. And if everything
works out just right, Wendy will also be writing.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Today, I'm pleased to interview, Karen King, author of Perfect Storm, on my blog. Hi, Karen, welcome! Can you tell my readers a little about your background? Well, I write children books for all ages and in all genres; story books, picture books, plays, joke books and non-fiction. I've had over one hundred children’s books published.

I've also written for many children's magazines, including Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the
Pooh, and Thomas the Tank Engine. Perfect Summer is my first YA, and it was
runner up in the Red Telephone books YA Novel 2011 competition. That's a wonderful accomplishment, Karen! Congratulations. With all those books and articles out there, I'm sure people ask you all the time about your writing schedule. Do you write in the morning, evening, all day?I'm most productive in the morning. Often, I get out of bed and start writing right away. I'm full
of ideas in the morning.How did you get started writing?I've always written. I had my first poem published when I was 11, but I
started my writing career with Jackie magazine, writing articles and photo
stories.When it comes to fiction, are you a Plotter or are you what's known as a "Pantser"?That depends on whether I'm writing to a commission or not.

If I'm
commissioned, I have to plot as I have to send a synopsis and the first couple
of chapters to my editor. If I'm not writing to a commission, I plot some at first-- so I know the basic outline of my story -- but once I get going, I write "by the
seat of my pants".What's one of the funniest things people have asked you?

When I visit schools, the kids
always ask me whether I'm rich.

How do you reply to something like that?

I usually say "No, I'm really poor, so
please go and buy some of my books!"

Good move! Would you tell my readers a little about your book Perfect Summer?Imagine growing up in a society so obsessed with perfection that the government
gives people grants for plastic surgery.Fifteen-year old Morgan can't help being a
bit envious of her best friend Summer. Summer is beautiful and rich, her father
is a top plastic surgeon and her mother is a beauty consultant with a celebrity
client list. Summer's life seems so effortlessly perfect. Whereas Morgan isn't so
rich or beautiful and her little brother, Josh, has Down's syndrome - which,
according to the Ministry and society in general, is a crime. When Josh is
kidnapped and the authorities aren't interested in finding him, Morgan and Summer decide to
investigate. They, along with another teenager, Jamie, whose sister, Holly, has
also been kidnapped, uncover a sinister plot involving the kidnapping of
disabled children and find themselves in terrible danger, too. Can they find Josh
and Holly before it's too late?Do you have a sample you can share with us?Yes, here's one from the book's Prologue.

Prologue

They were on their
fourth game of poker. The air was tense; they played in silence, speaking only
when they had to.

The burly man glanced
at the five cards in his hand, his expression unreadable. “I’ll see you.” He
took a drag of his cigarette and waited.

The woman sitting
next to him studied her hand of cards and sighed. “I’m folding.” She placed the
cards face down on the table, crossed her arms and sat back in her chair.

They both watched the
bald man on the other side of the table. He looked at his cards and frowned.
The burly man took another drag of his cigarette and sent a spiral of thick
smoke into the air. Then a shrill ring broke through the silence, making them
all jump. The burly man grabbed his nanophone, and the others waited as he
flicked it open. The air was electric with suspense.

“Yes,” he said
brusquely. He was silent as he listened, then replied, “We will leave
immediately.” He switched the phone off, threw his cards down and stood up.
“It’s on,” he said, scooping up the handful of coins in the middle of the table
and putting them, and the phone, in his pocket.“Let’s get going.”

The woman left her
cards and followed him. They both hurried outside to a dark blue van. The man
climbed into the driving seat, the woman sat beside him. She took a slip of paper out of her pocket and keyed an address into the E--‐‑Nav. “We’ll be there in a couple of hours,” she said.

“How old’s this one?”
the man asked.

“Three,” the woman replied.

“Shouldn’t be too
difficult then.” The man started up the van and they set off.That sounds quite intriguing, Karen. Where can readers get a copy of the book?They can buy it for their Kindle at Amazon or they can get it in Nook format at Barnes & Noble or they can buy it in paperback at either place.If you're interested in finding out more about Karen and her writing, you can visit her at:

Friday, December 6, 2013

I mean, I got engaged during the wedding scene of the original movie then later had my daughter sing the role of Mother Abbess in a stage production, so I clearly have pretty strong feelings about the show and its cast. Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer definitely did not fit my image of a proper cast.

Don't get me wrong, I had nothing against Carrie or Stephen. In fact, I took my daughter and son-in-law to see Carrie when she performed in concert here. I also like Stephen. He makes a wonderful vampire leader on Blood Ties. However, when I heard these two were cast as leads, all I could envision was Southern-fried "Jesus Take The Wheel" meets Louisiana vampire.

Boy, was I wrong!

Carrie Underwood pulled off the role of Maria with maturity, style, and barely a twinge of an accent, and Stephen Moyer owned the role of Captain Von Trapp. Who knew he could sing like that? Wow. The rest of the cast was just as amazing. The seven Von Trapp children were wonderful in their roles, and Christian Borle made a delightful Max. Audra McDonald as the Mother Abbess blew me away with her singing. What an incredible voice she has.

All in all, it was a fantastic three hours of entertainment tonight, and I have now added this show to my official list of Favorite Things!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

I'm very excited today to talk to you about the latest book from the lovely and talented Wendy Knight. Feudlings in Flames is Book Two in the Fate on Fire series, and it looks like it will be as just as exciting of a read as the initial book. Ms. Knight introduced Ari and Shane to us in Feudlings, and this book continues their story. Although the Feudlings books are targeted to the teen reader, don't let that stop you from checking them out. Readers of all ages have turned the series into Best Sellers at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other eBook retailers. Let's take a peek at Feudlings in Flames, shall we? If you're like me, the front cover attracts you to a book (the boots and nail polish got my attention immediately) then you turn it over to read the back. I'll virtually turn this one over so we can read the back blurb.

"Ari thought being in
love with her prophesied nemesis sucked. But being responsible for her best
friend's kidnapping? It sucks worse.

Ari and Shane thought they’d beaten Fate and ended the
three-hundred year war plaguing their people. They thought love had won. But
they were so, so wrong.

Instead of graduating high school like the normals, they’re
in a battle to save Charity – Shane’s cousin,
Ari's best friend, and the seer
who might hold the key to ending the war for good. To do that, they’re
forced to accept help from a boy they aren’t even sure they can trust. He’s
powerful and knows spells even Ari’s never heard of, but he’s also secretive
and has a past he’s determined to keep hidden . Add to that the fact that he
has his sights set on Ari, and Shane would rather do without his help.

Ari has bigger
problems than mysterious boys and their strange powers. The powerful Edren
Family is hunting her brother, and she can't very well save him or Charity
while they’re constantly being attacked by her own people. To stop the raids,
she has to take the fight to them. But if she starts hunting the family that
raised her, what kind of monster will she be?

Fate still waits for the death of one by the hand of the
other."

Whoa! Sounds like Ari has her work cut out for her in this story. Let's find out a bit more and read an excerpt, shall we?

"No no, Hunter, it
curves this way." Ari stood back, watching with a frown, and then jumped
back in. "Imagine in your mind what you want the spell to do. Tie your
emotions to your spells."

Shane watched her guide Hunter and tried again on his own.
"Close, Shane, but like this," Ari reached out, holding his hand as
she led him through the motion. He felt the flames racing through his blood
react to her touch and sparks flew from his fingers, igniting the spell. It
hung, burning, in the air, a bright blue curlicue thing. "Perfect,"
she whispered, still holding on to his hand.

"Maybe,
but does it work?" Tristan's voice was flat and uninterested, but Shane
could hear the animosity running under the words.

"We don't have any targets set out. He can't test it."
Ari shook her head, and still holding Shane's hand, made a quick swiping motion
through the spell, dissipating it. "Try
again." She let go of his hand and stepped back, watching expectantly.

Shane tried, once, twice, and three times. He couldn't get it
quite right, but neither could Hunter, which made him feel better, and Tristan
wasn't even trying.

"It's okay if you can't do it, Shane. There are a lot
of other powerful spells she uses that will be much easier for you to
master," Will said.

Ari vehemently shook her head. "No. He can do it. Just
give him a minute!"

Shane kept his
attention focused on the spell in front of him, but he couldn't stop his grin.

Ari believed in him.

He burned the spell into the air again, trying to replicate
the one Ari had drawn, but it fizzled into a mass of smoke. The spell had to
ignite to actually do anything. He groaned in frustration, tipping his head
sideways to look at Ari. "What am I doing wrong?"

She bit her lip, studying him for several seconds.
"When you did it the first time, what were you thinking?"

Shane paused, dropping his hand that was still poised in
the air. "Umm… I was thinking we were gonna die and I had seen you throw
that spell so I knew it was possible. It just happened."

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm intrigued. I definitely want this one. You can get a copy, too, at:

Wendy Knight was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful
family, who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time
driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five,
terror when faced with a live phone call, etcetera, etcetera). She also enjoys
chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading,
and hiking. Camping is also big: her family is slowly working toward a goal of
seeing all the National Parks in the U.S.

You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby,
wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion may be. And if
everything works out just right, she will also be writing.